Woman fell off wall after ex threw kebab and sprayed her with Lambrini

Kevin Gosling, 35, who resides at Harrison Field Allotments in Jarrow, missed with his food attack – but later threatened her not to press assault charges.

He did so in an abusive phone call - resulting in him being charged with victim intimidation, an offence which carries a potential jail term.

But magistrates in South Tyneside did not send Gosling, who was also found in possession of illegal amphetamines, to jail for crimes committed between April and June.

They instead handed him an 18-month community order in which he must work with experts to lessen his occasionally fiery behaviour – and ordered him to stay away from his victim.

Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: “He had been in a relationship with his ex-partner for 17 years and they have four children. She reported an assault to the police.

“The basis of his plea is that he accepts that he swilled her with the contents of a bottle of Lambrini and that he threw a kebab over her head.

“He denied pushing her over a wall but accepts that she fell over the wall, maybe to avoid him.

“It is following a report of assault that witness intimidation takes place.

“It’s a telephone call made by the defendant to her in which she immediately recognised his voice.

“He said, ‘You better drop the charges against me. I know where you work. I’ll go there if you don’t drop the charges.”

Both Ms Burgess and Gosling’s defence solicitor, Joanne Gatens, said he had denied making a threat to visit her workplace.

Ms Burgess said when arrested for alleged witness intimidation, Gosling had asked police if he could “get rid” of illegal drugs on him.

She added: “There was white powder in a bag and a small amount of cannabis in another bag. The white powder was tested, and it was amphetamine.”

Ms Gatens told the court Gosling rejected any accusation he had pushed his former girlfriend or had made threats to visit her employer.

She said: “He does accept that he shouldn’t have reacted or behaved as he did. He does accept that there was an argument and he lost his temper.

“He has a very excitable character, he’s red-haired and that does reflect in his behaviour.

“Sometimes things come into his head and the way he reacts could be seen as aggressive, but that’s not what he’s doing, it’s just his character.

“He is sorry and remorseful for his behaviour.”

Gosling admitted a charge of assault and witness intimidation and two charges of drugs' possession.

The community order compels him to complete 25 rehabilitation days’ work with the Probation Service and undergo 30 sessions of the Building Better Relationships programme.

He must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and was made subject to an 18-month restraining order, and must pay a £90 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

A message from the editor

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Shields Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.shieldsgazette.com/subscriptions to sign up.

You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here: https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/.

Thank you.